KHUJAND, December 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- An outbreak of seasonal catarrh has been reported in northern Tajikistan.

The deputy Sughd head sanitary physician Nasib Ikromov noted that 319 cases of an acute respiratory disease had been registered in the province over the first week of January.  No cases of influenza or pneumonia have been reported so far.

According to him, 83,876 cases of the acute respiratory disease were registered in Sughd in 2007, while in 2008 this number reduced to 79,850.

Compared to 2007 the numbers of registered cases of flu and pneumonia also reduced in the province last year – by 4,166 and 602 cases respectively.